Police counter policy 'risked teen's life'

By AAP

7 September 2018 — 5:31pm

A teenage girl "nearly died" because two police officers could not leave their station under the WA government's 24/7 front counter policy, the union claims.

WA Police Union president George Tilbury says the girl was in a life-threatening situation but nearby officers in Perth's southeast who wanted to respond "were effectively chained to the front counter".

"A car from Belmont had to travel more than 60km to assist the girl because all cars aligned to the Armadale district were tied up with other jobs," Mr Tilbury said in a statement on Friday.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts said 24/7 stations provided the community with certainty and ensured those needing a safe haven could access officers any time.

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"It doesn't seem to make any sense that in a life-threatening situation, police would not respond and so I will seek further advice from the WA Police Force," Ms Roberts said.

She said areas such as Joondalup, Fremantle, Cannington and Midland have had 24-hour police stations for decades so the policy was about giving fast-growing suburbs like Ellenbrook and Armadale the same service.

But according to the union, on most nights the 24-hour police stations in Ellenbrook and Armadale are not accessed by the public.

Opposition police spokesman Peter Katsambanis called on the government to reverse its decision to take police off the streets and place them behind desks.

"The more police we can have patrolling our streets ... the safer our state is going to be," he told reporters.